Building unit



BUILDING UNIT K. w. DuNwoDi'r Filed June 6, 'l929 I'll ZZ c j b 0 6 6 bMay 19,- 1931.

stretcher face to the Other.

Patented May UNETE-I s'rA'rEs ENNETH w. nnuwionngon Macon, GEORGIA semmemf 1 a Application filed was, less. Serial ml 368,872.

This inventionrelates to building units or bricks of hollowconstruction, and has for its object the provision of a brickof-this'type I which is approximately twice the size'of a 5 standardsolid brick and which, while presenting an exposed surface when laid ina wall having the quality and appearance ofthe best face brick, isinteriorly provided with dead air spaces orvoids of novel configuraation and arrangement forheat insulating and fire proofing purposes.

The invention contemplates the provision of such a building unit, theheader and stretcher walls ofwhich are of approximately equal thickness,each stretcher wall being pro vided with a longitudinal seriesofvertically disposed openings, these openings'being preferably, thoughnot necessarily,cylindrical in a shape. The central space bounded by thestretcher and headerwalls is bridged byfa pair of narrow, spaced,vertically disposed webs which are parallelto the stretcher wall andwhich divide this central space into three voids or dead air spaces, twowider ones bei tween the perforated stretcher walls and the as a fireproof and heat insulating building:

element, adapted to be used not only in ordi I nary buildingconstructions, such as dwelling houses, schools, or oflice' buildings,but in buildings where theheating or cooling costs" are a big factor,such as garages, cold storage warehouses, refrigeration plants, or thelike. The novel arrangement of the webs also pro' building unit. a

One embodiment of the invention is de scribed in thefollowing'specificationfiand '50 present invention, is usedpand in whichis 22 andthefingers entering the other. vides a convenient hand holdmeans for the shown in the accompanyingdrawings byway illustrateda joistconnection in which a halved unit isemployed.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the building unit; and i Figure 3 isanelevation partly'in section asseen from a header end of the unit.

. The building unit or brick designated gen erally int the drawing bythe reference numeral 10 is shown ln'Figure 2 as being'flat and.substantlaliysquare in plan and formedwi'th and header walls ll-and 15having faces 16.

Longitudlnally and centrally of each of l the stretcher walls"11"and12isdisposed a series ofvelrti calcylindrical bores or openings 17; These-.open111gs 17' serve to lighten the constru'ctionofgthe buck, andprovide key-;

ingineans whereby the mortar may effectively forrnthe bond betweenthebricks, Near thelend of the header surfaces 16, of each unit and linewith the series of holes 1'? are the kerfs 18 which are shown here assemicircular in cross-section but may be rectangular or of anysuitableshape; These kerfs form bonding means for the joints between twoadjacent units in the same course.

The header walls 14; and'15 are connected near their middle portions bythe two nari row, vertical parallel webs19and 20, which divide' 'thecentral space enclosed by, the

header and stretcher walls into three dead air spaces or voids, twowider ones 21 and 22 and the narrower centrally located space 23. Thewebs l9 and 20 are disposed in parallel to the brick-may be placedinposition with natural movement of the armwith the 'thumb towardthebodyand the fingers to} .ward the outer side of'the wall. The ease withwhich the units arethus laid enables the masonto accomplish considerablymore work without experiencing the fatigue a which would result from,handling and laying M i a EE cc stretcher walls 11 and 12 have the faces18 units, the hand hold webs of which are disposed transversely to thelength of the wall.

In Figure 1 is shown the partially constructed wall of a building inwhich this building unit is used. In laying a soldier course, either forthe purpose of forming an ornamental belt course, sealing of the voidsor air spaces, or for providing course in which the joists 24: are setinto the wall, the units 10 are arranged vertically with their stretcherfaces 13 exposed as usual and their header faces within the wall. lVhenlaid in this position it will be noted that the kerfs 18 of the unit inthis soldier course register with the series of openings 17 to form aneffective keying means for the mortar joints.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 1 the joists 24 are set into the walland a halved building unit placed at the end thereof. For this purposeand foruse in turning corners the unit 10 may be readily severed alonglines AA in Figure 2 cross the middle of the header walls and half unitobtained which is of very sturdy coixsruction being bounded by the halfheader walls, one of the stretcher walls, and one of the webs 19 or 20.It is obvious that by ,he use ofwhole and half units it is possible toobtain any combination structure that may be obtained by the use ofordinary standard solid bricks, Whether it be in an eight inch wall, atwelve inch wall, a chimney, a cornice, or other construction. It willalso be readily understood that the unit may be made with any convenientdimensions for building walls of various thicknesses, thus, forinstance, in a twelr e inch wall the area of the unit may be 8" x 12with the thickness either that of the standard brick, namely 2%, orpreferably slightly thicker to provide a more practical construction.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A hollow building unit having relatively thick stretcher and headerwalls, said header walls being connected by a pair of vertical hand holdwebs disposed in parallel relation to the stretcher walls, each of thestretcher walls being provided with a longitudinal series of verticalopenings, the end openings of each series being intersected by theheader face of said unit whereby a mortar key is provided near each endof the header faces.

2. A hollow building unit having relatively thick stretcher and headerwalls pro viding broad mortar receiving upper surfaces, said stretcherwalls being provided with a longitudinal series of vertical openings,said header walls being connected at their'middle portion by a pair ofnarrow, spaced, vertical hand hold webs disposed parallel to thestretcher walls, whereby there are provided five successive voidsbetween the stretcher surfaces of the unit, and a mortar signature.

KENNETH W. DUNWODY.

